Chapter 150 Trading with the Celestial Immortals
The sky was deep and vast, with the gentle light of the moon casting a misty glow like thin smoke, as the expansive sea gently undulated, shattering the moon's reflection into fragments of golden light.
"I don't have any Inner Landscape relics on me," Wang Xuan spoke up, unwilling to meet with beings that were most likely Celestial Immortals. Even separated by the veil, he was wary, knowing such creatures were unfathomable. After his experience with the red-clad demoness, he no longer dared to easily venture into the Inner Landscapes left behind by ancient beings.
"No matter, it's fate that you boarded this boat. It's been desolate for many years, and it's rare to have someone aboard again. You can chat freely with them; you never know, there might be a chance for cooperation," the ferryman said amiably. Then, glancing at Wang Xuan's short sword, he added, "Besides, you do have some fine items on you."
There were no waves in the sea, and the bamboo boat stayed steady. The ferryman, holding a fishing rod, sat at the bow, gazing into the void. The veil was approaching, slowly descending from the sky until it was level with the sea, veiled in mist, not far away. The feathered bamboo boat was connected to the veil by the fishing line, with faint glimmers of light flowing along it.
"Someone wants to cooperate with your family's Patriarch and is willing to offer a Feathered Immortal-level scripture," the ferryman said, turning around. There was no one inside the straw raincoat—only darkness, with mist swirling within.
Such a grand offer right at the start! Wang Xuan couldn't help but be amazed. Had he not known the truth, he might have been tempted. But he had seen the fate of a sect master in the depths of the moon crater's Inner Landscape. Now, hearing such a trade, he only felt dread.
He immediately became alert—these beings were terrifying, aiming to hunt down a sect's Patriarch right from the start!
"My Patriarch is in seclusion and likely won't emerge anytime soon," Wang Xuan responded earnestly, adopting a humble and serious tone. In a place like this, he dared not act rashly, maintaining a respectful and sincere expression.
The ferryman nodded, "Hmm, someone heard you resolutely abandoned the various supreme 'True Form' paths and, after many years, became another who boarded this boat. They find you interesting and want to teach you."
"What are the conditions?" Wang Xuan asked cautiously. If word got out that an ancient Feathered Immortal-level expert was passing down secret techniques, countless cultivators would go mad!
"You must spend three years learning in the world beyond the veil, and in return, you'll need to accomplish three tasks for them in the future," the ferryman, clad in the straw raincoat, said.
"The Patriarch is still here, and I cannot travel far. I don't know if the elder will succeed in taking that step after emerging from seclusion, so I dare not stray too far," Wang Xuan replied solemnly.
The ferryman smiled and said nothing.
Wang Xuan was perplexed and asked, "Can we mortals even enter the world beyond the veil?"
"Your spiritual consciousness can enter temporarily, but your physical body would find it difficult."
Wang Xuan felt a chill in his heart upon hearing this. If his consciousness entered and met with them, would he still be the same person when he returned?
He felt it was too passive and said, "As a low-level cultivator, I don't think I have anything that could interest the ancient sages. Perhaps I can help fulfill any unfinished wishes they might have in this world, and see if there's a way to cooperate."
After the ferryman relayed his words, the beings behind the veil fell silent. It seemed these unfathomable creatures were reminiscing about past events, lost in memories.
The veil remained covered in mist, obscuring their true forms.
"Someone is asking if your family's Patriarch can kill a Black Prison Bird at the Earthly Immortal level?"
Wang Xuan's head throbbed. Asking Master Wang to kill that accursed Black Prison Bird—what a joke!
He shook his head, declining. There was no way he could agree to that.
The ferryman sighed, "That's a pity. It's rare to have such a task below the Feathered Immortal level. By comparison, it was one of the easier tasks."
Wang Xuan was speechless—killing an Earthly Immortal was considered an easier task? But after thinking about the origins of these beings, it made sense.
"If that senior is so powerful, why didn't they personally kill their enemy back then?" Wang Xuan asked.
The ferryman replied, "That Earthly Immortal was separated by several eras, destroying the senior's temple in a later generation. That's why they hold a grudge."
Wang Xuan was deep in thought. Even after ascending to immortality, some still had their legacies wiped out by enemies in later generations. What a tragic fate.
At the same time, he remained cautious. Entering the world beyond the veil seemed too restrictive; it cut off any influence on the present world.
Wang Xuan said, "If any of you have enemies, please don't involve our Patriarch. The world has changed—Feathered Immortal ascension is a thing of the past, and beings at the Earthly Immortal level have become mere legends."
The ferryman relayed his words, and those behind the veil fell silent once again. In many places, it was indeed the case.
Wang Xuan continued, "If any of you have descendants in need of care, you can tell me."
The ferryman shook his head, "They all refused, fearing your Patriarch would destroy their descendants and covet the relics they left behind."
Wang Xuan was speechless. These people were truly… dark-minded!
But he could understand. Those who reached such heights must have experienced all sorts of treachery and malice; otherwise, they wouldn't have survived to ascend to immortality.
"No wonder they left traps in the mortal world even after fading from it—none of them are easy to deal with!" Wang Xuan grumbled internally.
Then, he spoke again, "Do any of you have elders you miss or loved ones you yearn for? I can help you find their old graves and perform some rituals."
Even the ferryman was left speechless. Was this new passenger planning to take on grave sweeping and finding lost relatives?
"There's nothing I can do—I'm still just a mortal," Wang Xuan responded helplessly.
"They said that after death, everything fades. Ascending to Feathered Immortal status severs all ties to the mortal world. Even if they have such emotions, they only pay their respects in their hearts," the ferryman said. Then he added, "I think they're afraid you might loot their graves."
Wang Xuan sighed, "What kind of terrifying era did these seniors live through, to think of people in such a dark way!"
The ferryman remained silent.
After a moment, he revealed something new, "Someone asked if your planet has entered the interstellar age. Can you travel into deep space?"
Wang Xuan nodded, giving a positive response.
The ferryman said, "This is a simple task. Someone will give you the coordinates of a distant star and offer a large sum to deal with a mere mortal."
"Crossing star systems? That's too far—I'm not accepting this task!" Wang Xuan refused immediately. Who knew where it would lead?
He was still a "mortal," and even extraordinary beings were insignificant in the vastness of deep space.
"She said, don't be hasty in refusing. That life-bearing planet has already fallen into decline, with almost no cultivators left, and she'll offer you a reward you can't refuse."
"What reward?" Wang Xuan asked, his curiosity piqued about what kind of grudge could make a transcendent-level expert target a mortal.
Besides, wouldn't any enemies he had as a mortal have passed away by now?
Could it be a new grudge formed from recent interference in the present world? A thought crossed his mind.
The ferryman relayed, "She said she can offer you a portion of the medicinal soil left behind by a legendary妖仙. Once you step into the Gathering Herb realm in the future, you will understand how important this is."
"Medicinal soil? Is it really that important?" Wang Xuan asked, confused.
"Trust me, she's not wrong. I know there's indeed a legendary妖仙 behind her, and the medicinal soil left behind is definitely a treasure," the ferryman marveled.
He added, "Medicinal soil isn't real soil. More accurately, it's a kind of medicinal property. I suspect that the medicinal soil left by that legendary妖仙 contains a portion of Heavenly Herb's properties."
"What if she's lying to me?" Wang Xuan doubted. Was it necessary to go to such lengths for a mortal? He thought it didn't seem very reliable.
The ferryman spoke calmly, "I'm the guarantor. With me here, I can ensure a fair trade; there won't be any problems."
Wang Xuan nodded. "Alright, ask her who she wants to deal with and what I should do."
"She wants to deal with a mortal named Wang Xuan. When the time comes, you only need to insert a feathered god bamboo, carved with runes, into his body, avoiding vital points, to complete the task. If you accept, she will provide you with detailed information and give you a killing tool that can slay a low-level extraordinary being, which can be used for self-defense, but can only be used twice. Afterward, she will give you the legendary medicinal soil."
Wang Xuan's expression was calm, but inside, a storm was brewing. Even in the deep void, someone wanted to deal with him!
He was famous among the celestial beings? Without a doubt, the other party had targeted him because he could autonomously open the Inner Landscape even as a mortal!
There were celestial beings restless, wanting to return to the present world!
Forget about giving away any medicinal soil; if they could really return, they'd probably be willing to give up even more important things!
He frowned and asked, "Isn't this interference in the present world? Is it really okay to target a mortal? If celestial beings frequently take action like this, wouldn't the human world be thrown into chaos?"
The ferryman replied calmly, "You're overthinking. Only in such special places can trades be made, and no one has boarded this ship for hundreds of years."
Wang Xuan sighed in relief.
He maintained his composure and nodded, "That's acceptable, but I must get the medicinal soil first."
The ferryman shook his head, saying, "The other party said the medicinal soil is too precious. If you don't complete the task, this trade cannot proceed."
Wang Xuan was firm. "I don't know if I'll be able to come here again next time. If I don't take the reward now, I might never get it."
"That's true; this secret path is not easy to navigate," the ferryman nodded.
In the end, after some bargaining, the strong individual agreed to pay a portion of the medicinal soil first.
The ferryman solemnly informed him, "Be grateful; this medicinal property only requires a small amount to change your fate. That's enough!"
Wang Xuan said, "I have one condition: under any circumstances, I need to ensure my own safety. Only then will I consider taking action against that Wang Xuan. Otherwise, I have the right not to act and to abandon the attack without it counting as a breach of this trade."
"Alright, that's acceptable. The other party has agreed," the ferryman relayed.
In an instant, a finger-long feathered god bamboo emerged behind the curtain, densely carved with strange runes, flying over on a fishing line.
Then, a silver hairpin flew out. It looked like a woman's accessory, but after a simple ritual by the person earlier, it had become an extraordinary killing tool.
Additionally, there was a piece of jade filled with information.
Wang Xuan frowned. "These items come from the celestial beings, and I'm a bit worried. What if there's something wrong with them? For example, what if they end up harming me?"
"Don't worry; I've checked. These items are fine and fully comply with the rules of the Old Testament," the ferryman said. He added, "These items can be used by anyone, so don't lose them."
"Now I can rest easy!" Wang Xuan nodded, feeling relieved.
"Good, with the Old Testament as a witness, the trade is complete!" the ferryman announced loudly, and a terrifying thunderbolt crackled through the heavens.
Then he reminded both parties that the Old Testament had recorded everything, which had already taken effect. No one was allowed to go back on their word, and they must strictly fulfill their agreements.
Behind the curtain, the trader suddenly felt a surge of excitement, a tinge of unease.
At that moment, she wanted to pay an extremely high commission to ask the ferryman to disperse the Mist. She wanted to see the trader outside the curtain.